Cirque du Soleil acrobat in hospital after fall at Las Vegas show

By Kevin Murphy

2 Min Read

(Reuters) - A Cirque du Soleil acrobat was hospitalized after suffering injuries in a fall during a performance in Las Vegas on Friday night, just days after the Montreal-based company was fined in connection with a fatal accident in June.

The unidentified male acrobat was performing in the "Wheel of Death" act during the show "Zarkana" when he slipped and fell off the wheel, Cirque du Soleil said in a Facebook posting on Saturday.

"The show was halted and the artist was transported to University Medical Center where he is in stable condition and is expected to be released from hospital in the next few days," the statement said.

The show was being performed at the Aria Resort and Casino.

In June, Paris native Sarah Guillot-Guyard fell 94 feet to her death during a midair battle scene in the show "KA" in Las Vegas.

After a four-month investigation, the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration earlier this week issued six citations, totaling $25,235, to Cirque du Soleil, which describes its shows as "a dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment."

Guillot-Guyard, 31, died after falling in the final scene of the performance, in which the stage is vertical and performers wear safety harnesses attached to a cable. The wire rope attaching her to a safety harness scraped against suspension equipment and became detached, Nevada OSHA said.

Both Cirque du Soleil and MGM Resorts, the owner of the Las Vegas MGM Grand, said they would appeal the rulings in connection with the June accident.